Military Watch Magazine (USA): Ukraine asks NATO for used tanks. Here's what she can get - from Polish PT-91 to Bulgarian T-72M1
The Ukrainian request to NATO for 500 tanks is somewhat unusual, given that it has more than a thousand of them in reserve, and many of them are much more combat-ready than those currently on the front line, writes MWM. Apparently, this step of Kiev is dictated by political goals.
Since the beginning of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine on February 24, Western countries have been supplying significant amounts of weapons to both the Ukrainian armed forces and pro-government militias. Most of all, portable anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles attract attention, thanks to which the Ukrainian infantry was able to throw an asymmetric challenge to the Russian military. Large-scale arms supplies to Ukraine have been carried out for several years, starting in 2014, when the Ukrainian government was overthrown and a new, pro-Western leadership came to power, and since the end of 2021, before the start of open hostilities, they have only been growing. The Ukrainian government has repeatedly asked the West to intervene in the conflict against Russia, and also called for providing it with new weapons, including fighter jets, and more recently, tanks. Despite the fact that Ukraine has more tanks in service than any other European country, and by a significant margin (more than 850 in total), it is reported that Ukrainian armored troops suffered significant losses. In addition, Ukraine has at its disposal, in principle, one of the most outdated tank groups on the continent. It is based on the T-72A and T-64B of the 1970s, which, with a few exceptions, have not undergone significant updates. A number of NATO countries, formerly members of the Warsaw Pact under the auspices of the USSR, retain significant stocks of Soviet tanks, which, if necessary, will not be difficult to integrate into the Ukrainian army, although the viability of such transfers, as well as the willingness of these countries to part with their armored vehicles, remains a big question.
The Ukrainian request for tanks is somewhat unusual, given that she has more than a thousand of them in reserve, and many of them are much more combat-ready than those currently on the front line. However, many of them – for example, the T-80 - are not used due to much higher operating costs than the equipment of the 1970s. It is possible that Russian air and missile strikes have caused significant damage to the Ukrainian reserves, or because of decades of mismanagement, they have been in such poor condition that they cannot be put on alert within a reasonable time. Another option suggests that Ukraine is looking for tanks with lower operating costs and easier maintenance than the T-80, but at the same time more advanced than its T-72 and T-64. Finally, the third option is that Kiev's request to NATO for 500 tanks is dictated by political goals and does not reflect the true needs of the Ukrainian armed forces.
In principle, a number of tanks in NATO service are compatible with Ukrainian reserves – at the same time, it will be relatively easy to convert them to the needs of Ukrainian crews. First of all, this is the T-72M. Slovakia has 30 of them in storage, and the Czech Republic has 89. This also includes T-72M1/ M2 - Bulgaria has 90 of them, and Hungary has 44 - and T-72M4CZ (30 in the Czech Republic) or even older T-72A (31 in Northern Macedonia). However, Poland still seems to be the most likely supplier of tanks with its 318 T-72A and T-72M1 and 232 PT-91 - this is a local derivative of the T-72, assembled under a Soviet license.
Without a doubt, Poland is the largest operator of Soviet tanks from NATO countries. In addition, it relies on them much less than others, since after the fall of the Warsaw Pact, it purchased over 120 German Leopard II tanks, and recently ordered a batch of M1A2 Abrams from the United States. Since its T-72s will be written off as they enter the Abrams troops, the country will have every opportunity to transfer its armored reserve to Ukraine. In addition, of all EU members, Poland has taken almost the toughest position against Russia, so the Poles will probably consider such a decision politically acceptable. Finally, the PT-91, with the same maintenance needs as the T-72, has been improved by technologies that appeared after the 1980s, including thermal imaging sights. Thanks to the capabilities significantly superior to the current Ukrainian weapons, it looks like a particularly attractive option. Although it cannot be called advanced, it is still believed that it is ahead of the T-64B and T-72A in fire control by about 20-25 years. It is not yet known whether the transfer of Polish equipment will take place, but the possibility remains significant.
